After the uproarious zaniness of WHAT'S UP, DOC?, Streisand's follow-up picture, the decidedly bizarre UP THE SANDBOX, confused much of the film-going public and the film became the star's first flop at the box office. However, this poor reputation has only added luster to the film's appeal today, and UP THE SANDBOX has become a film that is very special to Streisand's many fans. The film's new-found appreciation is largely due to Streisand's beautifully restrained performance, which is full of warmth, nuance, and believability. When she's taking on the routine banalities that were typical of the seventies' housewife, Streisand never fails to make the mundane appear so radiant and lovely.
The film is further enhanced by director Irvin Kershner (best known for directing THE EMPIRE STRIKES BACK), who gives the film an eerily abstract, almost European-like feel. This lends UP THE SANDBOX an usual art house-style vibe that remains unique to this day, and manages to completely offset the somewhat dated women's liberation issues that the picture addresses - although there are many scenes, including a terrific monologue that Streisand delivers to Fidel Castro in one of the film's many fantasy sequences, that are even more timely today. The much-lauded fantasy sequences not only function as the perfect counterpoint to the central storyline (as they were intended to do), but they also remain delightfully abstract and entertaining in their own right. A criminally underrated film that has been frequently punished for being different, UP THE SANDBOX works on many levels, but mostly as a vehicle for Streisand, as it allows the actress to showcase the quieter side of her brilliance.
The film is further enhanced by director Irvin Kershner (best known for directing THE EMPIRE STRIKES BACK), who gives the film an eerily abstract, almost European-like feel. This lends UP THE SANDBOX an usual art house-style vibe that remains unique to this day, and manages to completely offset the somewhat dated women's liberation issues that the picture addresses - although there are many scenes, including a terrific monologue that Streisand delivers to Fidel Castro in one of the film's many fantasy sequences, that are even more timely today. The much-lauded fantasy sequences not only function as the perfect counterpoint to the central storyline (as they were intended to do), but they also remain delightfully abstract and entertaining in their own right. A criminally underrated film that has been frequently punished for being different, UP THE SANDBOX works on many levels, but mostly as a vehicle for Streisand, as it allows the actress to showcase the quieter side of her brilliance.